Game apparatus.



J. E. WATTERSON.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB, 1913.

1,085,371. Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

WITNESSES INVENTOR W av COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH COv-WASHNQTDN, D- c.

ilNI SATES ATENT OFIQE,

GAME APPARATUS.

assen.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES EDGAR AT- TERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to game apparatus and particularly to games wherein the playing of the same will be instructive and educational aside from being simple and interesting.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple and etlicient game which can be played with great interest by either children or older persons, and one which will tend to impress upon the minds of both the necessity of being careful, particularly when in dangerous places, and is in line with a movement which is now becoming wide spread to teach persons to take care of themselves when in the locality of railroad tracks, street-car tracks, automobiles, and other places of danger.

To these ends my invention consists, generally stated, in the novel arrangement and combination of characters and warnings as hereinafter more specifically set forth and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to manufacture and use my improved game, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure represents a top plan view of the game showing the arrangement of street-car tracks, railroad tracks, buildings and the direction of travel.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in the figure of the drawing.

As illustrated in the drawing, my improved game is started at the symbol A which represents home, and the players each take a small chip, or block, and place the same in the square A marked Home. A die, or a. counter of the spinning dial form is used, and the players take their turn in spinning the dial, or throwing the die, and are supposed to move the number of squares or spaces corresponding to the number which is thrown on the die or which the pointer on the dial stops at. The direction of play follows the numbers, as indicated, so that Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 8, 1913.

Patented J an. 27, 1914:.

Serial No. 766,320.

the players traverse the straight road B crossing the car-tracks C and turn the 001' ner D.

Suitable inscriptions are placed in many of the squares so that when the party comes to the square D in front of the car tracks C, the following inscription appears :-Danger! stop! look! listen! Pla-safe, \Vait for a 5. The 5 which is necessary to get at this point will carry the player safely over the car track to the other curb and to the square marked E. The same operation will be repeated when the player comes to the square F, immediately before the car tracks G. The player then continues to move along the straight road H, which indicates the side-walk, until he comes to the railroad tracks J, and then follows along the platform, as indicated by the arrows, and then along the sidewalk K. The player is again halted at the block 56 designated L until he throws the necessary 5 to carry him safely to the block M on the other sidewalk. He then traverses around the public building N and re-crosses the street-car track at O, and then following along, crosses the railroad track J, and if the counter will not permit of his stopping in square 99, designated P, the player gets out on to the railroad tracks, is struck by a train, and goes to the hospital designated X for 5 days, each day indicating one turn of play and then when he comes from the hospital he starts back at the square marked 82. The game then follows along after the player gets across the tracks J until he gets to the school house Q. From the school house the player leaves along the side-walk. R, crosses the street car tracks S in the same manner as before described, the block H6 and designated T having the aforementioned inscription within the same and if the party by reason of carelessness ends his count on the street-car tracks, after he has made his safety stop 146, he is presumed .to have been struck by a street-car and goes to the hospital for several days, thus missing several turns. The game follows along this same plan until the player then arrives at his home designated A and the one who first reaches home after traversing the entire course is the winner of the game.

Almost every one of the squares, which squares are numbered consecutively will bear an inscription, a few of which are Do not jump on cars, lose 3 turns, Carelessness causes accidents, lose 3 turns, Take care of your little brothers and sisters, Many are killed by their own carelessness Never take hold of a wire. It may be charged, It is dangerous to get on or off a moving car Do not walk into danger, Go back 10 blocks, Too much haste, lose 2 turns, Struck by car, go to hospital three days; then start at 96 Injured by a wagon. Go back to 22, It is dangerous to cross streets on skates, Always look both ways, Life is precious. Take care of it It is dangerous to play on railroad tracks, and others.

The rules of the game are that each player is represented by a small block or disk which is moved along the numbered course from home to school and return home. The numb-er of spaces to be moved is indicated by a spin of the dial. A danger block appears at the near side of all streets and railroadcrossings. All players must stop at each danger block regardless of whether the number thrown or spun would carry them beyond it or not. The careful player will remain on danger block until a 5 or 3 is thrown, as indicated thereon. The careless players, if they so desire, may move the number of places indicated by their next turn but must announce their intention and accept all penalties imposed and must not turn back except when instructed to do so on the space their disk rests upon. All notes must be read and instructions carried out. Two or more disks may rest on the same space. The player may be admitted to take a chance while waiting for a 5 or 3 and go across a crossing'but will always find it better to pla-safe The game as here described, besides providing entertainment for young and old is also instructive, its object being to educate the player in the prevention of accidents which endanger the lives and limbs of the general public who daily use the crowded streets and public conveyances. It is in line with a general movement which is very wide spread by municipalities and railroad and street railway companies to teach persons to take more care of themselves and thus materially decrease the number of accidents which happen by reason of peoples own negligence and thoughtlessness.

Various modifications and changes in the characters, numbering, and shape of the course directed to be taken by the players may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc, thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, and safety blocks at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks.

2. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc, thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, and safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks.

3. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, and safety blocks at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named.

4. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, and safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named blocks.

5. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety block-s at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, and directions on said blocks.

6. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc, thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, and directions on said blocks.

7. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before cross ing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named blocks, and directions on said blocks.

8. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc, thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player muststop before crossing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named blocks, and directions on said blocks.

9. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc, thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered c0n secutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, and inscriptions on said blocks.

10. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, and inscriptions on said blocks.

11. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks, buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advance ment of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named blocks, and inscriptions on said blocks.

12. A game apparatus comprising a board having a layout of streets, tracks,buildings, etc., thereon, a definite course of travel on each side of said streets which the players must take, said course being divided into blocks which are numbered consecutively to indicate the advancement of each player as determined by a counter, safety blocks at the corners of said streets in said course at which each player must stop before crossing the streets or tracks, said safety blocks being between said first named blocks and numbered consecutively with said first named blocks, and inscriptions on said blocks.

In testimony whereof, I the said JAMES EDGAR WVAT'rnRsoN, have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES EDGAR WATTERSON.

WVitnesses:

T. B. HUMPHRIES, J. N. C'ooKn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington. I). C. 

